RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM

This template is to be used to outline your proposed research project study: no other formats
will be accepted. This form is due to be completed, saved and uploaded via uploaded to
WOLF by the due date for your cohort.
This proposal should not exceed 5-6 pages in length, including references; extensive
background information is not required.

Student Name: Anastasia Kalli

Student ID: 1133780
Provisional Topic Title: Marketing through social media and traditional media. A case study
in the fashion retail industry in Cyprus for local and international brands.

Proposal structurally approved by workshop tutor: Yes/No

(Your workshop tutor needs to check that you had done sufficient work on the proposal and that it is of fit
state to be forwarded to your supervisor)

1.

Aims/objectives/Research Questions:

The aim of the dissertation is to analyse the marketing strategies used by Fashion Retail
stores in Cyprus to attract customers through online or traditional advertising campaigns. The
objective will examined the differences between the advertising campaigns run through social
media and traditional media and which one will take place over the years.
Moreover, the objective of this thesis is to provide insights on how fashion retail stores in
Cyprus can use Social Media as a marketing tool in consumer marketing in the Cypriot
market. In addition, this study attempts to define what kinds of social media are used and
which opportunities and challenges the use of them in marketing creates for the stores.
Furthermore, this study aims to illustrate the role social media has on customers purchase
decisions, and to describe how the stores can influence on the buying behavior through Social
Media. In addition, this study describes the objectives, strategies and tactics that can be used
for social media marketing activities.
More specifically, the study try to answer questions such Who the advertising campaign
target to?, What are the communications objectives of the campaign?, Which type of
media is used to promote the campaign?
Furthermore, this study will explore how the social media has affected the entire fashion
industry and moreover will focused on the adoption and usage of social media within the
fashion industry in Cyprus. Finally, the goal of the study is to specify which key performance
indicators can use in measuring the impact of marketing activities through social media and
traditional media.

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The theoretical framework rests on literature of social media marketing and as well as
previous studies on social media marketing. The research method is a case study with
empirical approach. The empirical data will be collected by conducting interviews from the
retail fashion stores, local and international brands, in Cyprus.
2.

Methodology:

For the purpose of this project will use a combination of research methods, primary and
secondary. The first part of the project, will present a general research in the fashion retail
industry in Cyprus. Secondary research makes use of information that has been already
researched for other purposes and includes published research reports in a library. It can also
include books, articles and reports produced by universities.
Aside of studying others opinions and studies, in this study will also conduct primary
research to investigate social media activities of fashion brands and observe how brands are
currently developing in social media marketing.
Primary data will be gathered and analysed by conduct interviews with the store managers
and marketing managers of the retail fashion stores, local and international brands, in Cyprus.
Using all these sources, information will be collected to analyse the marketing strategies used
by Fashion Retail stores in Cyprus to attract customers through online or traditional
advertising campaigns. The objective will examined the differences between the advertising
campaigns run through social media and traditional media and which one will take place over
the years.
3.

Brief Literature Review:

The basics of marketing remain the same, creating a strategy to deliver the right messages to
the right people. What has changed is the number of options you have.
Though businesses will continue to make use of traditional marketing methods, such as
advertising, direct mail and PR, social media adds a whole new element to the marketing mix.
Nowadays, most business strategies are not complete without considering the role of
technology, the internet and intuitive ways to reach both local and international consumers
(Ahlberg, 2010, Freeman and Chapman, 2011). In this technology driven world, social
networking sites have become an avenue where retailers can extend their marketing
campaigns to a wider range of consumers. Chi (2011, 46) defines social media marketing as a
connection between brands and consumers, [while] offering a personal channel and currency
for user centered networking and social interaction.
Social media may sound like a new concept, but it is actually based on the most authentic
marketing tool we know: word-of-mouth marketing. There are over 3.5 billion word-ofmouth conversations occurring around the world every day, about two thirds of these are
thought to make a reference to fashion, services, or products (Ahlberg, 2010, Evans, 2008).
Whilst these high levels of discussions about products and fashion may seem superficial, it is
important to keep in mind that people are motivated to discuss issues that relate to their own
image and the image of other people in their lives (Mangold and Faulds, 2009).
Through the evolution of technology, these types of word-of-mouth -marketing (WOMM)
(Brown, 2010) strategies are no longer limited to physical discussions but are spreading faster
and further through the use of the internet (Evans, 2008).

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Social media marketing can in no way be compared to traditional marketing as it has a twoway communication stream. Social media marketing shows to be quite successful today,
however, it is still the most effective when executed in combination with traditional media.
Traditional media relied heavily on a one-to-many paradigm the brand creates a message
and transmit that message to the masses through broadcast, print or radio. Traditional media
is a one-way communication system that doesnt create engagement or work toward
promoting
word
of
mouth

the
hallmarks
of
social
media.
Due to this shift in power, traditional marketing tools are perceived today to be not as
effective as they once were. The reason for this is because consumers trust in social media
techniques and what they read online from other peers (Evans, 2012). Through social media,
information is easily accessed online and information concerning a product or service is
much easier to search for.
Weber (2009) and Drury (2008) identify that marketing through social media has required a
revolutionary model of communication.
Bearing this in mind, the focus of this thesis surrounds how highstreet fashion retailers have
adopted to using social media and what influence has this had on more traditional marketing
procedures. As Larry Weber 2009 in his book Marketing to the social web says: Social
media is a new strategy that has the capacity of changing public opinion every hour,
minute, even a second.

4.

Resources you need/Access to primary and secondary data:

The research methodology will include the collection of information from published research
reports, journals and surveys. Also, the research will include information from books and
articles. In order to find and analyse the differences between the advertising campaigns run
through social media and traditional media and which one will take place over the years will
proceed to qualitative analysis with interviews with the store managers and marketing
managers of the retail fashion stores, local and international brands, in Cyprus.

5.

Project Schedule

Steps

Description

Due
date

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Week -1-2: Area of interest identified

Weeks 3-4: Topic selected/form submitted
Weeks 4-5: Topic refined to develop dissertation proposal
Weeks 5-8: Proposal written and submitted
Stage 1: Chapters 1-3 completed
Stage 2: Collection of data and information
Stage 3: Chap 4 (Results, Analysis and Discussion and
Chapter 5 (Conclusions, Implications and recomendations)

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8
9
10

Stage 4: Writing up
Stage 5: Final project draft prepared
Submission of Project

References

Ahlberg, J.R (2010) Marketing through Social Media: Case: Comparison of Social Media
Marketing Approaches of B2C Companies for Company X. Masters Thesis. Kemi-Tornio
University of Applied Sciences.
Brown, E (2010) How implementing social media strategies (the right way) attracts customer
loyalty. School of Communication. American University Washington. Available from:
http://www.american.edu/soc/communication/upload/Ellie-Brown.pdf
Chi, Hsu-Hsien. 2011. Interactive Digital Advertising VS. Virtual Brand Community:
Exploratory Study of User Motivation and Social Media Marketing Responses in Taiwan.
Journal of Interactive Advertising 12: 44-61.
Dave Evans (Ed). (2012). Social Media Marketing an hour a day. Canada: John Wiley.
Drury, Glen 2008. Social Media: Should marketers engage and how can it be done
effectively, Journal of Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice. (9). 274-277.
Evans, Dave (2008) Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day. John Wiley and Sons.
Hoboken, NJ, USA.
http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/social-media-versus-traditionalmedia-01029226#bVvXwmfvj0m8CfRx.99 accesed 15/11/2014
Mangold, Glynn W., and David J. Faulds. 2009. Social Media: The New Hybrid Element of
the Promotion Mix. Business Horizons 52: 357-365.
Weber, Larry 2009. Marketing to the Social Web. How digital customer communities build
your business. John Wiley and Sons. Hoboken, NJ, USA.

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RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL

EVALUATION GRID/FEEDBACK SHEET
Student to fill in personal details below and having read the
ethical guidelines, confirm project is category A (below) and
upload along with the proposal form.
Student last name:
Student first name(s):
Student no:
Supervisor:
Resubmission

First submission

Evaluation

Summary Feedback

(As per ticked Box)

Excellent:
Approved to proceed
Very Good:
Approved to proceed
Good:
Approved to proceed
Competent:
Approved to proceed

Borderline:
Improvement required;
resubmit to supervisor;
not yet approved.
Unsatisfactory:
Major improvement
required; resubmit to
supervisor; not yet
approved to proceed.

(Check overleaf for possible further comment)

Compelling proposal, persuasively outlining a well thought through,

feasible and relevant research study.
Clear and specific about research question, project design and research
methods. These three elements are shown to be well co-ordinated.
Well-defined research question. Sensible project design and clear
plans for conducting the research.
Clear research question. Explicit ideas on design and methods but
there are some issues about the fit between question, design and
methods.
Identifies an interesting topic, but the research question is very broad
and the details of the project are hazy.
Arrange meeting with Supervisor a.s.a.p.
The focus, purpose and method of the project are not made clear to the
reader.
Arrange meeting with Supervisor a.s.a.p.

Application for Ethical Approval:

Is this a proposal for Category A or Category B project?
(to completed by student)
If it is Category A, do you recommend that approval is given?
(to be completed by the supervisor)

If No, please give reason(s)

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Supervisor Feedback
In addition to the standardised feedback given on page one, and to comment and advice that will be given
in supervision meetings, Supervisors may choose to use the space below to offer more detailed comments
on the overall proposal and/or to suggest specific ways in which the proposal should/could be improved to
strengthen the foundations for the intended study.

Supervisor Signature:

___________________________________

Name (Please print)

___________________________________

Date:

______________________

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